A £4,000 fine was handed out to Timbercraft Windows & Doors recently after repeated failures to protect workers from exposure to wood dust were confirmed.
Located in Essex, Timbercraft Windows & Doors Limited has had three visits from the HSE (Health and Safety Executive) spanning twelve years.
These visits noted large buildups of wood dust at their Colchester premises, on top of other health and safety regulation breaches. One of these included a failure to furnish employees with adequate respiratory protective equipment (RPE).
Upon investigation, it was found that the firm had failed to satisfactorily control and prevent exposure to wood dust in several ways:
- Inadequate ventilation
- Fit testing for respiratory equipment
- Dry sweeping of dust
- Using compressed air to clear wood dust
- Using incorrect L class vacuums
- No health surveillance for employees exposed to wood dust
Due to their well known nature within the industry, these are classified as breaches of regulation. We have knowledge of solutions to them:
- Health surveillance should be undertaken for staff
- Local Exhaust Ventilation (LEV) should be thoroughly examined no less than every fourteen months
- LEV guidance is readily available on the HSE website
- Face fit testing for respiratory equipment is required for tight-fitting equipment
- Wood dust should be cleared regularly, and dry sweeping should not be one of those methods
After an inspection in 2022, the firm received three notices regarding wood dust control. One additional notice was issued regarding monitoring, guarding and protection devices for machinery.
Over the past twelve years, improvement notices were issued during each visit, but regardless, the company failed to take corrective measures – including failing to proved employees with adequate RPE.
Timbercraft Windows & Doors Limited pleaded guilty to breaching Regulation 9(2), 11(1) and 7(1) of Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002. They received a £4,000 fine, with an order to pay costs of £2,792 at a hearing on the 16th of January 2025.
HSE inspector Tom McQuade said:
“Just seeing the piles of wood dust lying around gave us an indication of how much workers would have been exposed.
“The risks from exposure to wood dust are well known and exposure can cause irreparable harm.
“The fine imposed should highlight to employers in the woodworking industry that the courts and HSE, take failure to control exposure to harmful substances, such as wood dust, extremely seriously.
“Appropriate controls are well documented, and guidance is provided free of charge on the HSE website.
“Businesses need to protect their employee’s respiratory health. And if they don’t, we will not hesitate to take appropriate action.”
Further reading
For some further information about respiratory disease claims, check out this page.
How do I get in touch?
Contact our team today on 0113 306 9039, and we will advise you on whether or not your case is likely to succeed.
